(Chambers 763-765 and 861-863) *Just in case you would like to refer to the book Russia: Defeat and Revolution-
~1881-Alexander III was tsar. His father had been assassinated...he used the Orthodox Church and police to control the public. He also gave nobles an increased role in zmstovs (local counsils)
~Policies of Russification-restrict religion and language of all nationalities in Russia (besides Russians)
~Then, Nicholas II becames tsar in 1894
~1904=Russo-Japanese war over influence in Port Arthur, basically the Russians got creamed
~Unrest and revolts were growing (like the Social Revolutionaries) Then liberal zemstov members held national counsils and insisted on liberties in 1904
~In January of 1905 striking workers marched on the tsar's Winter Palace and Nicholas sent soldiers out to meet them, some people were killed and some people were hurt. This was called Bloody Sunday, and it made Russians mad! The people wanted religious toleration reforms and a constitution.
~There was a general strike which led to the October Manifesto (which granted, in effect, a limited constitution...the tsar still had more power than some people wanted.)
~Russia splits into political parties: Octobrists-liked the constituion the way it was; Cadets-wanted more reforms
~The Fundamental Laws (1906) annouced the limitations of the constitution. (But Russia was still moving in a modern direction)
Revolution in Russia-
~In 1914, the Duma (like a parliament) was prepaired to help with the war effort, but Nicholas suspended them when the Cadets still demanded more reforms. Nicholas left his wife and Rasputin (a corrupt adviser-ish guy...nobody liked him) in charge of the country while he went off to lead his troops.
~By 1916, Russia isn't functioning very well, there was no food, no transportation...things like that...
~More signs of revolution: In November Pavel Milyukav attacks the government in a speech in the Duma; some nobles murdered Rasputin
~By March 1917, strikes filled the streets
~February Revolution- The Soviet of Worker's and Soldier's Deputies join with the Duma to form a new representative government. (Don't get confused, this isn't communism yet.) Nicholas abdicates.
~The central figure of this government was Milyukov. (Aleksandr Kerensky was the socialist)
~Cadets wanted a political democracy and they wanted to stay in World War I
~Menshevicks (part of the Social Democratic Party) wanted drastic reforms in Russia, but they were more focused on gaining popular support and supporting peasants than the Bolsheviks, they were also more willing to tolerate other political parties
~Bolsheviks-small, left wing group in Russia (that devloped when the Social Democratic Party split at its second congress in 1903) They were a disciplined revolutionary party that believed strictly in Marx's doctrine and denouced all who didn't join them as their enemies.
(Chambers 863-869) Revolution in Russia (continued)-
~This guy named Lenin (leader of Bolsheviks) was developing his ideas in Switzerland. He believed that militant party leadership and using the peasant's desire for land would create the ultimate socialist revolution in Russia. (Remember Marx had that whole Historical Materialism theory, and he believed economic systems evolved...the last stage was the communist "dictatorship of the proletariot" stage) Arriving at this ultimate stage was the goal of the Bolsheviks...
~In 1917, the Germans snuck Lenin back into Russia because he believed that WWI was a "civil war between capitalists" and the Germans were hoping he could stir up trouble in Russia with his theories and damage the war effor there.
~The Provisional government in Russia was having trouble...there were tons of strikes and revolutions
~Kerensky becomes the head of the government, and the Bolsheviks attempt a coup in Petrograd.
~Kornilov attacks Petrograd, the Bolsheviks gain ground with the "Peace, land and bread" slogan.
~Lenin goes back to Russia and seizes Petrograd (St. Petersburg by the way) with Red Guards on November 6. The Russian armies supported Lenin. The Provisional government couldn't do anything to stop the Bolsheviks from taking over.
~Lenin argued that the Bolsheviks represented the prolatariot. They were leading Russia to Marx's "higher historical stage"
Towards a Communist Society-
~To gain support, Bolsheviks declare that land can be "temporarily" held by peasants.
~The Bolsheviks established committees to manage factories...
~Titles were abolished, church and state were seperated, equality of the sexes was established, railroads, banks etc were nationalized.
~Finland secceds from Russia
~There is a brief "reign of terror" type of thing where the Cheka (secret police) seek "enemies of the state"
~Feb 1918, The treaty of Brest-Litovsk ends the war with Germany (Russia gave up a lot of territory with this treaty)
~Allied troops and tsarist troops (led by Kornilov) begin a civil war with the communists) this leads to tons of violence and a collapsing economy
~There was also a problem with Poland because they wanted more land than the Versailles treaty had given them so they sent an army into the Ukraine (which they would gain after fighting with Russia)
~After all of this, Russia was dealing with a bad economy, turmoil, uprisings...
~Lenin annouced the New Economic Policy (NEP) which was a type of compromise between capitalism and communism (He recognized that the massive social and economic changes communism required couldn't occur in Russia right away.) The NEP allowed some buisnesses to be privatly run, and it leased some national indutries to foreigners so Russians could learn,
~Communism and national pride was taught in school and all areas of society
~The communist party controlled all aspects of life
~By 1924 the Soviet Union was internationally recognized and it became an example to extreme leftists.
Russia: Defeat and Revolution-
~1881-Alexander III was tsar. His father had been assassinated...he used the Orthodox Church and police to control the public. He also gave nobles an increased role in zmstovs (local counsils)
~Policies of Russification-restrict religion and language of all nationalities in Russia (besides Russians)
~Then, Nicholas II becames tsar in 1894
~1904=Russo-Japanese war over influence in Port Arthur, basically the Russians got creamed
~Unrest and revolts were growing (like the Social Revolutionaries) Then liberal zemstov members held national counsils and insisted on liberties in 1904
~In January of 1905 striking workers marched on the tsar's Winter Palace and Nicholas sent soldiers out to meet them, some people were killed and some people were hurt. This was called Bloody Sunday, and it made Russians mad! The people wanted religious toleration reforms and a constitution.
~There was a general strike which led to the October Manifesto (which granted, in effect, a limited constitution...the tsar still had more power than some people wanted.)
~Russia splits into political parties: Octobrists-liked the constituion the way it was; Cadets-wanted more reforms
~The Fundamental Laws (1906) annouced the limitations of the constitution. (But Russia was still moving in a modern direction)
Revolution in Russia-
~In 1914, the Duma (like a parliament) was prepaired to help with the war effort, but Nicholas suspended them when the Cadets still demanded more reforms. Nicholas left his wife and Rasputin (a corrupt adviser-ish guy...nobody liked him) in charge of the country while he went off to lead his troops.
~By 1916, Russia isn't functioning very well, there was no food, no transportation...things like that...
~More signs of revolution: In November Pavel Milyukav attacks the government in a speech in the Duma; some nobles murdered Rasputin
~By March 1917, strikes filled the streets
~February Revolution- The Soviet of Worker's and Soldier's Deputies join with the Duma to form a new representative government. (Don't get confused, this isn't communism yet.) Nicholas abdicates.
~The central figure of this government was Milyukov. (Aleksandr Kerensky was the socialist)
~Cadets wanted a political democracy and they wanted to stay in World War I
~Menshevicks (part of the Social Democratic Party) wanted drastic reforms in Russia, but they were more focused on gaining popular support and supporting peasants than the Bolsheviks, they were also more willing to tolerate other political parties
~Bolsheviks-small, left wing group in Russia (that devloped when the Social Democratic Party split at its second congress in 1903) They were a disciplined revolutionary party that believed strictly in Marx's doctrine and denouced all who didn't join them as their enemies.
(Chambers 863-869)
Revolution in Russia (continued)-
~This guy named Lenin (leader of Bolsheviks) was developing his ideas in Switzerland. He believed that militant party leadership and using the peasant's desire for land would create the ultimate socialist revolution in Russia. (Remember Marx had that whole Historical Materialism theory, and he believed economic systems evolved...the last stage was the communist "dictatorship of the proletariot" stage) Arriving at this ultimate stage was the goal of the Bolsheviks...
~In 1917, the Germans snuck Lenin back into Russia because he believed that WWI was a "civil war between capitalists" and the Germans were hoping he could stir up trouble in Russia with his theories and damage the war effor there.
~The Provisional government in Russia was having trouble...there were tons of strikes and revolutions
~Kerensky becomes the head of the government, and the Bolsheviks attempt a coup in Petrograd.
~Kornilov attacks Petrograd, the Bolsheviks gain ground with the "Peace, land and bread" slogan.
~Lenin goes back to Russia and seizes Petrograd (St. Petersburg by the way) with Red Guards on November 6. The Russian armies supported Lenin. The Provisional government couldn't do anything to stop the Bolsheviks from taking over.
~Lenin argued that the Bolsheviks represented the prolatariot. They were leading Russia to Marx's "higher historical stage"
Towards a Communist Society-
~To gain support, Bolsheviks declare that land can be "temporarily" held by peasants.
~The Bolsheviks established committees to manage factories...
~Titles were abolished, church and state were seperated, equality of the sexes was established, railroads, banks etc were nationalized.
~Finland secceds from Russia
~There is a brief "reign of terror" type of thing where the Cheka (secret police) seek "enemies of the state"
~Feb 1918, The treaty of Brest-Litovsk ends the war with Germany (Russia gave up a lot of territory with this treaty)
~Allied troops and tsarist troops (led by Kornilov) begin a civil war with the communists) this leads to tons of violence and a collapsing economy
~There was also a problem with Poland because they wanted more land than the Versailles treaty had given them so they sent an army into the Ukraine (which they would gain after fighting with Russia)
~After all of this, Russia was dealing with a bad economy, turmoil, uprisings...
~Lenin annouced the New Economic Policy (NEP) which was a type of compromise between capitalism and communism (He recognized that the massive social and economic changes communism required couldn't occur in Russia right away.) The NEP allowed some buisnesses to be privatly run, and it leased some national indutries to foreigners so Russians could learn,
~Communism and national pride was taught in school and all areas of society
~The communist party controlled all aspects of life
~By 1924 the Soviet Union was internationally recognized and it became an example to extreme leftists.